US airports just got more gender inclusive

First came passports, and now security screening has been given an inclusivity update.

America’s Transportation Security Administration has enacted more gender-neutral screening measures to make the process “more inclusive”.

The agency now allows people applying for its PreCheck program into the U.S. to select “another gender” when completing their applications.

The changes, which have recently been implemented, were announced on March 31 to coincide with International Transgender Day of Visibility. TSA official David Pekoske said in a statement: “This new TSA PreCheck enrolment feature reaffirms our commitment to equality and inclusion for all people, including the LGBTQI community.”

Other changes the TSA has made this year to improve inclusiveness for travellers include reducing pat-down screenings and replacing gender-based security screening technology. In October, the U.S. State Department also issued its first passport bearing an “X” gender designation for intersex, gender-nonconforming and nonbinary travellers.

Australia has offered applicants a third gender option on passports for more than ten years, with countries including Argentina, New Zealand, Denmark, Iceland and Nepal also including an “X” option on applications.

More countries are beginning to offer an option for travellers who don’t identify as male or female, however issues can arise for people travelling to conservative countries with the documentation.

Australia’s travel advisory smarttraveller.gov.au warns of potential difficulties for those travelling on passports with ‘X’ in the gender field, “especially when crossing international borders”, recommending they read update travel advisories and consult embassies and consulates in each country they intend to visit.

Currently Australia’s border security uses gender-based scanning technology, which Australia’s Home Affairs TravelSECURE site states requires “the screening officer to select the gender of the person being scanned which is based on the person‘s external appearance”.

In the event of a frisk search, the site adds that “you can inform the screening officer if you would prefer a female or male screening officer to conduct the screening.”

Elouise Brook of The Gender Centre, which consulted to Sydney Airport on its Privacy Impact Assessment regarding the use of body scanners in 2012, said Australia’s airports continued to improve their operations to be more inclusive.

“I know that the community has bad experiences and reports those experiences, and that is no doubt part of a process that the airports are continuing to improve and that’s reflective across all aspects in Australia,” the NSW health and communications manager said.

“We are fortunate in many ways that people are able to travel or to move around without their diversity or identity – whether they are trans or a person of colour or are of a religious belief – being singled out. In Australia we’re reasonably fortunate, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be continuing to be as inclusive as possible.”